Re: Possum

We used to always lock up the chickens, but in recent years, we don't flex
well enough to get the coop door closed, only the fence. Until this spring,
haven't had a problem with 'possums going into the coop. The only birds
we've lost in about 2 decades of chicken-keeping have been when they've
roosted in trees and raccoons have gotten them.

I'm a member on the Coop too Daryl. I guess I just secure my chickens
really well. I have never had a problem with them, but I close them up
every night and have a very sturdy fence around them when they are put up.
Our feed is stored in barrels with lids. NOW - we have had OWLS take some
of our guineas..and I know it was an owl by the way it was killed
(decapitated). And coyotes sometimes sneek in and take something (like our
turkey). But our guineas free range and run amok on our farm. Half the
time they go over to the neighbors farm and stay for weeks on end, then my

neighbors guineas come over here with ours. Guess we have "communal
birds".

Of course, having five dogs that patrol our farm, helps discourage the
predators.
On 5/21/09, Daryl <dp2413@comcast.net> wrote:

Lost one on Sunday. I knew they'd been hanging around. My neighbor saw
them. It mauled my bird, and got it almost out of the coop. She died the
next day.
More info here:
http://www.the-coop.org/wwwboard/discus/messages/5103/3448.html
d
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jesse Bell" <justjess01@gmail.com>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 12:28 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Possum
They do??? Never had them bother mine. At all.

Six or so months ago, an opossum took up residence either in our yard
or

somewhere nearby. We see it regularly at night waddling around in the
back
yard. We have no idea exactly where it lives and don't much care.
Last year at this time, just as the Willamette Valley is emerging from
its winter torpor, we were overrun by slugs. This year we have none.
There

must be a down side to having an opossum in residence, but I don't
know